Maple Leaf Beat — Morning Audio Brief · 2026-10-25

Good morning — the Sunday, October 25, 2026 edition of the Maple Leaf Beat Morning Audio Brief is ready above: tap play to listen with slides and subtitles. Here's what happened overnight and what to watch today.

B.C. Conservatives projected to win 1st majority in nearly a century

British Columbia has a new government. CBC News projects the B.C. Conservatives have toppled Premier David Eby's NDP, winning majority government — the party's first since 1928, nearly a century ago. As votes were counted Saturday night, the Conservatives were leading in about 63 ridings to roughly 29 for the NDP and Greens. Eby announced he will step down as NDP leader after the election gamble backfired, and Lorne Doerkson becomes premier-designate. The result marks a dramatic political realignment on the West Coast, and it hands the province's first right-of-centre majority government in generations the mandate to reshape policy on housing, energy and the resource economy.

Alberta's referendum was clear, unlike Danielle Smith's future

Alberta's sovereignty referendum delivered an unambiguous answer: as of Friday's still-unofficial results, 75 percent of Albertans voted to remain Canadian. The decisive defeat of separation ends, for now, the most serious unity challenge in decades — but the political fallout for Premier Danielle Smith is only beginning. The New York Times reports her future as premier is anything but clear, with critics — and even some voices at The Tyee — openly calling on her to resign after staking her premiership on the question. Expect the post-referendum reckoning to dominate Alberta politics into the winter.

What we know and don't know about the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright

One week after the deadly fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, officials confirm four soldiers were killed and dozens more were injured. New details have emerged about a military medic who was critically injured running into the fire to save fellow soldiers — an act colleagues describe as extraordinary bravery. Private Shaun Farrell, one of the fallen, made his final journey home on Saturday, met by honour guards and mourners. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has offered American assistance as investigators work to determine the cause. Questions remain about what sparked the blaze and how military infrastructure and response procedures will change.

First Nations leaders voice priorities ahead of historic meeting in Ottawa

First Nations leaders are gathering in Ottawa ahead of Monday's historic meeting with the federal government, and their agenda is pointed: concrete action on treaty rights, economic sovereignty and reconciliation. Leaders say they want deliverables, not symbolism — and the meeting is being framed as a landmark test of the federal relationship with Indigenous communities. How Ottawa responds on land, resource-sharing and self-government commitments will be watched closely by First Nations across the country.

Loblaw CEO says discount stores now key to winning price-weary shoppers

Canada's largest grocer is betting big on smaller and cheaper. Loblaw CEO Per Bank says discount stores are now key to winning price-weary shoppers — the company's smaller-format stores carry around 5,000 products and have done away with the deli counters, live pizza stations and fresh bakeries of the traditional supermarket in favour of sharper prices. With grocery affordability still a top political and household concern, the strategy signals where the industry sees its growth: lean formats, tight assortments and value first.

Leafs hammer Oilers for fourth win in a row

In hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs are officially rolling. Toronto hammered Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night — their fourth straight win — in a game Sportsnet called a blowout driven by a full team effort. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz made 30 saves to slow down McDavid and company, while William Nylander hit the 300-point milestone of his career as the Leafs' depth overwhelmed Edmonton's star-reliant lineup. Edmonton's top line remains elite, but the rest of the roster ghosted when it mattered.

Sources

Maple Leaf Beat Audio · 2026-10-25 · Morning Brief · Narrated edition, compiled from CBC News, The New York Times, CTV News, Global News and Sportsnet.